A Day of Reflection, Faith and Connection for Year 9

Year 9 students gathered for their Reflection Day at Parramatta Cathedral last Friday, 15th May 2026.

Year 9 students stepped away from the pace of school life for their annual Reflection Day at Parramatta Cathedral, spending time exploring faith, strengthening connections and reflecting on important questions about compassion, suffering and their relationship with God.

Sometimes the most meaningful days at school are not the loudest or busiest, but simply the ones that encourage students to slow down, reflect, and connect more deeply with themselves, others, and, most importantly, their relationships with God. Year 9 students gathered at Parramatta Cathedral on the 15th of May 2026 (led by Ms G. Banks, Director of Catholic Identity & Mission and Miss R. Reynolds, Faith in Action Coordinator) for their annual Reflection Day. This was a valuable experience for Year 9 students at Catherine McAuley to press pause on assessments and workload and focus on their spiritual growth.

Upon arriving at Parramatta Cathedral, the cohort assembled into their Religious Education classes and were encouraged to discuss their Term 2 focus topic, ‘If God is love, then why is there evil and suffering in the world?’ Throughout the day, Year 9 thought deeply about this question and explored how faith, humanity and compassion can co-exist during times of suffering and hardship.

From the very beginning of the day, we embodied our Mercy charism in a variety of rotating activities. Students worked collaboratively within their classes to crack codes, solve puzzles and complete challenges, which ultimately connected to the themes explored throughout the day. Alongside these activities, students completed an interactive booklet that allowed them to record their own reflections and interpretations of the topic, analyse different perspectives, and connect the events to learning to deepen their understanding of their own lives and faith journeys.

The students enjoyed the input given by Very Rev Father Robert Riedling, Dean and Administrator of Parramatta Cathedral and Episcopal Vicar for Education, who spoke to students about the meaning of excellence, reflecting on how Mary demonstrated excellence through her actions and how people today can strive to do the same. Father Robert described excellence as “something that is kept and sustained, not something that happened once.” Students engaged thoughtfully with his message, listening attentively and taking notes throughout his presentation.

The day also included analysing case studies of individuals who had endured immense suffering throughout history. These individuals included Anne Frank and Saint Maxmillian Kolbe, whose experiences challenged students to reflect on resilience during times of suffering and darkness. The example case studies sparked many meaningful and intellectual conversations between the students.

After a brief recess break the students gathered together for Mass in the Cathedral, celebrated by Father Vincent. The cohort accompanied the regular parishioners and joined each other in an opportunity for prayer, reflection and unity as a year group, allowing us to strengthen our relationship with God and one another.

Beyond the learning activities and discussions during the Reflection Day, the day also created space for students to simply connect. Through calm reflection periods, icebreakers, games and team building activities, we were able to strengthen friendships and form new connections within our classes and enjoy a peaceful and engaging experience outside the typical classroom environment.

Reflection Day continues to be a valued annual event, granting students the chance to grow not only academically and spiritually, but personally as well. It was a day filled with meaningful conversations, collaboration and of course, reflection. A day that will be remembered.